marie4

Very insightful food for thought. Thank you!

Been there, get out fast!

I am working prn at a different LTC facility. The atmosphere there is much better. They have been welcoming and encouraging. I don't feel like I'm stepping into hell when I go there! LOL! I am going to talk to some different HH agencies and find out more about it. In the meantime, I'm going to cont. working prn and look into getting my RN online. Hospitals in my area are not hiring LPN's, especially new ones.

I feel the same way about dumping work onto the next shift, I would rather stay with no pay and do it myself. Maybe thats pride and stubborness. But, if that atmosphere is "normal" that is very disturbing. I feel sorry for the residents and the staff. It boils down to corporate co. not wanting to shell out money to pay for enough staff.

Thank you all so much for your encouragement and advice. I decided to quit the full-time position and get out of there. I realized that no matter how hard I worked, one person wasn't enough to do that job and care for the people the way they should be cared for. I was even told once that "you could get it all done if you would stop assessing everybody"! I assessed the ones that needed assessed!! How can you chart an assessment that you didn't do?!! I won't even go into the backstabbing and nastiness that went on every shift change. Every effort was made to try to make me feel like the village idiot. It was unbelievable. It was like they had someone new for entertainment. Even though I know that kind of behavior is uncalled for, I kinda understand why- there just wasn't enough staff and everyone was so stressed out. I think thats the way they cope with it. I don't know, I just know that at this early date in my nursing career I have to find something else. I am going to look into home health care. I talked to the DON and asked what I was doing wrong, how could I improve and she said I was doing great, and had been getting only good reports ( I was amazed). The HR girl that hired me asked what she could do to fix it so that I would stay. What could I say, besides hire more people, get out on the floor and see what's going on, put some of the dayshift on nights and nightshift on days and let them walk in each others shoes (Yeah, like that's gonna happen), then maybe you will get some teamwork going, get the ADON and DON out on the halls more. That's what I should have said. Anyhoo, that's that. I was wondering if HOME HEALTH is as bad as that? Any, advice?

Thanks so much. I really needed some encouragement and kind words. I havn't gotten any feedback from the DON or ADON. They work days, so I never see them. I keep expecting a phone call from someone telling me what I am doing wrong but no one has called. I am thinking about calling the ADON and asking her how she thinks I'm doing. I'm worried about my charting. I know it is not up to par. I have to rush through it. I feel like everyone is discussing my shortfalls among themselves with only a few well aimed snide comments in my presence. I made a list of tasks that need to be done, but the med passes take me twice as long as the other nurses. I don't think they are passing out ALL the meds! But the worst part is that I barely have time to assess my patients!!! When I get off work I worry about my patients and roll over in my mind everything I forgot to chart or do. I have called back in to check on pts., or tell someone I forgot to do something and they acted very irritated and cold. I am amazed that seasoned nurses seem to get a kick out of treating new grads this way. Or are my shortcomings really making their life that miserable! I just needed to get this off my chest! Again, thank you for being so generous with your reply.

I am a new LPN Grad, I started working at a Nursing Home 3 wks. ago full time, and a second Nursing Home PRN. I am working nights-12 hour shifts. I work as fast as a I can the whole 12 hours and still can't get everything done. I have two halls-approx. 45 pts. with charting required on about 25 plus 2-3 wkly reports, 24 hour report, meds to put away, glucometer checks, O2 tubing to change, census report to post. I had 10 days of orientation, which I am told is a new policy, they used to only give 5 days, so I should be grateful. Overtime is not allowed, lunch break is mandatory. So I put down that I take 1/2 hour lunch and leave on time when actually I am not taking a lunch, or even going to the bathroom more than twice a shift because I don't have time. I cannot get done by the end of my shift and end up staying at least an hour over with no pay. As hard as I work I always end up forgetting to do something. The dayshift nurses are very critical (putting it nicely) and I am beginning to think I don't have what it takes for nursing. I would appreciate any advice.